‘Substantial increase’ in ADHD prescriptions driven by women – study
There has been a “substantial increase” in the proportion of people using medicines for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the UK, driven by a rise in prescription rates among adults, in particular women.
A new study found that prevalence of ADHD medications rose three-fold in the UK between 2010 and 2023 – from 0.12% to 0.39%.
And there has been a notable increase in prescriptions among adults aged 25 and over.
ADHD medication use among adults aged over 25 increased from 0.01% in 2010 to approximately 0.2% in 2023.
Experts, led by academics from the University of Oxford, said this represents “a more than 20-fold increase in females and 15-fold in males” of this age bracket.
Academics examined the rate of ADHD medication prescriptions across five European countries – Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK.
Researchers looked at data on almost 200,000 people who initiated ADHD medication use during the study period, including 31,229 form the UK.
Researchers estimated the prevalence of ADHD medicines methylphenidate, dexamphetamine, lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine and guanfacine use among people aged three and older.
“We observed a substantial increase in ADHD medication use since 2010,” the authors wrote in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe.
They added: “We observed dramatic rise in ADHD medication use among adults, especially among females.”
The research team wrote: “Among adults aged over 18, there was two to 15-fold increase in prevalence of use during the study period, with the most pronounced increases observed in females, especially in the UK.
“The increase in both prevalence and incidence use among adults reflects the increased awareness of adult ADHD, especially among females.”
Meanwhile the authors also found that in the UK and Spain over 70% of people aged over 25 had previously used antidepressants.
The authors said that the UK had the “highest relative increase” of all countries studied.
As well as increases among adults age 25 and older, they also noted an increase of ADHD medication use among UK children aged three to 11 and among those aged 12 to 17.
By the end of the study period in 2023, the prevalence of ADHD medication among the 18 to 24-year-olds had overtaken the three to 11-year-olds group in the UK.
They also found that while ADHD medication use remained higher among men, the sex gap in treatment “narrowed over time”.
Methylphenidate, which has the brand names Ritalin, Concerta, Delmosart, Equasym, Medikinet, the most commonly used ADHD medication in all five countries studied.
“We observed a consistent increase in ADHD medication use across Europe, but the most striking changes were among adults, especially women,” said Xintong Li, lead author of the study from the University of Oxford.
“These findings likely reflect growing awareness and diagnosis of adult ADHD, but they also raise important questions about long-term treatment patterns and care needs.”
Researchers said that understanding patterns of ADHD prescription rates was important for “resource allocation in healthcare setting to support proactive planning”.
They also pointed out that there has been a global shortage of ADHD medications since September 2023 and said understanding patterns of medicine use can “support anticipating demands for ADHD medications and timely responses and help mitigate future shortages”.
Professor Daniel Prieto-Alhambra, senior author of the study, added: “Understanding how ADHD medications are being used in real-world clinical practice is essential for healthcare planning.
“These data can help health systems anticipate demand and reduce the risk of future medication shortages, while also highlighting populations that may need closer monitoring.”
Commenting on the paper, Henry Shelford, chief executive of ADHD UK, said: “The percentage increase in adult women receiving treatment is in significant part due to how bad identification is for girls in schools and the catch-up needed in adulthood.”
He added: “People with ADHD, and in particular untreated ADHD, have a lower overall life expectancy, an increased risk of multiple physical and mental healthcare conditions, and a much higher risk of suicide.
“We should be celebrating the increased identification and treatment we are seeing. The lives that we save and lives it will lengthen.
“We need to celebrate this improvement and fight for more. However, too often the stigmatising attitudes to ADHD mean attempts to reduce the treatment gap are met with derision instead of support.”
In December last year, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced he had launched an independent review into the rising demand for mental health, ADHD and autism services.
The review will look at rates of diagnosis and the support offered to people.
Published: by Radio NewsHub